<p>Please people, post the colleges that you go to. I’m applying to colleges right now and I want to know so that I can get a student perspective on the various colleges I’m interested in. Please, Please…</p>
<p>I can see the concern with Community Colleges vs. 4-years and Commuters vs. Residents, but if you think the specific college of the poster matters than you’re really missing the point of this thread.</p>
<p>I’m currently a HS Senior and this thread is just kind of depressing…</p>
<p>Overrated
student-student/student-teacher discussions via smaller classes- basically turns into a “hey, check out all the insightful **** I have to say” or “hey, I don’t know what i’m talking about, but look how good I am at rambling”</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>Haha I agree.</p>
<p>I’ve come to the conclusion that this thread is basically based on subjective experiences. I’m not really taking what everyone takes into consideration.</p>
<p>College (like life in general) is what you make of it. You have the opportunity to see the good in everything it has to throw at you.</p>
<p>On the issues that you think you have no control over, you’d be surprised to find out that you do have a degree of control. Some people criticized the way teachers with smaller classes lectured, well it’s their fault for choosing that teacher. With sites like ratemyprofessor.com, you can look at the reviews and choose your teacher accordingly. </p>
<p>As far as roommates are concerned, some schools let you choose the roommate and the dorm/hall you want.</p>
<p>As far as your social life is concerned, you have the option to go out partying every night or staying inside studying and occasionally hanging out in Starbucks with a couple of friends.</p>
<p>College is about choices, after all. Don’t let these lists dictate your experience.</p>
<p>I agree with coolpg. Since a lot of people in this thread are saying opposite things, it’s obvious that every experience is different. Although some things are repeated a lot. But it’s definitely very interesting to read what everyone has to say!</p>
<p>This thread was pretty interesting to read. As a resident lurker, I’ll throw in my own $0.02:</p>
<p>Roommates:</p>
<p>I love my roommates, and even if we’re not best friends in the future, I’ll be happy I met them. They’re some of the most amazing people I know. Unfortunately, a lot of people have negative experiences with their roommates, but I think living together and fostering a sense of family with your peers is a beautiful thing.</p>
<p>If you hate your roommate, that really sucks, because good roommates make life rosy.</p>
<p>Sex:</p>
<p>Don’t do things you’ll regret. Acid + unremembered late-night stands are not things you would want to discuss with your children. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with not hooking up, and you can still have plenty of fun. If you want to experiment, just remember that the consequences are on you.</p>
<p>Alcohol:</p>
<p>Excellent in moderation, it is often misused by freshman who have never had the opportunity to drink before. To be quite frank, being drunk is not that awesome. Drink to appreciate the alcoholic beverage, not to get wasted, and you’ll be surprised at the results.</p>
<p>Classes:</p>
<p>Your peers will appear to be pompous windbags in class. While some of them are, they’re probably just as nervous as you and looking to make a good impression. Don’t hate them until you talk to them outside of class and see for yourself if they’re as big of an ******* as they seem.</p>
<p>STEM:</p>
<p>Weeder classes are brutal. Check the prerequisites! You don’t want to be caught taking a class with AP Chemistry or an equivalent as a prerequisite - first semester, too - and have your final grade dash your hopes of ever achieving something in life. :(</p>
<p>Be smart.</p>
<p>Overrated</p>
<p>-Party scene
-The getting laid mentality (doesnt really work if you werent the type who got laid in HS in the first place)
-Roommates and dorm life, I frankly wished I commuted instead of dormed this year
-Studying like mad, if you properly study all quarter you will not need to cram EVER. Some people just dont understand this.
-Making friends, Its pretty much nigh impossible to do so in class and damn hard without clubs like here at UCSB. If you werent outgoing in HS you wont be making any new friends in college for a LONG TIME. So dont expect anything. I myself have yet to find proper friends here, and ive lived here for a quarter so far.</p>
<p>Underrated:
-Proximity to lots of utilities like the gym, parks, food, library
-Easy life compared to HS for sure
-The services like health clinic, counseling, and therapy
-The library, it is a godly place to study in.</p>
<p>“The getting laid mentality (doesnt really work if you werent the type who got laid in HS in the first place)”
yup</p>
<p>I share my experiences on my campus wire here - [Live</a> on Campus](<a href=“http://liveoncampus.com/wire/for/stanford]Live”>http://liveoncampus.com/wire/for/stanford)</p>
<p>There are 20,000 colleges from 50 countries!</p>
<p>I go to a boarding HIGH school, and dorm life is already overrated.</p>
<p>Overrated:</p>
<p>A.) The “college experience”</p>
<p>B.) Students discussing philosophy, economics, and current events while walking to class. Most of the students I’ve encountered could care less and are only concerned about the weekend and or getting the hell out and finding a job.</p>
<p>C.) Professors. Only about two of my professors are like what I imagined. The rest only teach because the school foots their research bill and or extremely geneorus salary (150K+). I’ve had professors tell me they hate teaching and would rather write a book or go to China to lecture on globalization.</p>
<p>D.) Advisors. Basically people who majored in some bullshyt degree such as communication or ethnic studies and are only there because its better than working in a retail job. Usually, don’t know shyt about the classes on your degree plan.</p>
<p>E.) It is NOT like Animal House or any other college-themed movie. Its not easy to get laid (for most people at least).</p>
<p>D.) College is NOT afforadble. I have an online class which has a fee ontop of a fee and tacked onto my tution. College is expensive and the idea that you can make "a million dollars more than high school students with no college degree"is actually a load of BS and a marketing gimick to entice kids to go to college.</p>
<p>Underrated</p>
<p>A.) Study groups. Help a bunch or at least let you know your’re not the only one lost in your upper division accounting class.</p>
<p>B.) Community college courses. Took a Writing Comp class and made an easy A whereas at my school it is hard as hell, not to mention expensive.</p>
<p>BTW, this was for when I went to UT Austin. I now go to a comuter school (Univ. of Houston) which sucks even more than UT.</p>
<p>“B.) Students discussing philosophy, economics, and current events while walking to class. Most of the students I’ve encountered could care less and are only concerned about the weekend and or getting the hell out and finding a job.”</p>
<p>This has actually happened a few times to me, but it’s mainly with older students (read: not typical college age).</p>
<p>Wow, you guys sound like you have had very depressing experiences in college. Was it at least better than HS?</p>
<p>Yes. Even though my social life is still pretty awful, I feel much more at home in college. It’s incredibly diverse, not just racially mind you. There are people from all walks of life here, whereas at my high school the majority were WASPy, “summer-at-the-Cape” type folks. Nothing wrong with that, but it made for a bit of a disconnect since although my family is somewhat well-off, we immigrated to the US and simply were not part of that culture.</p>
<p>I feel like I’m actually doing something with my life as well. High school partly sucked because there was very little flexibility in what I could take. Whereas in college, the sky’s practically the limit. I’m working toward something much more tangible and important than a high school diploma (which any idiot can get), and it’s something I WANT to study. </p>
<p>I also just feel more like an adult in college. Legally I am, of course, but I think it’s because of what I said above (about how I’m working toward something I want). I may be commuting but it feels much more… grown-up than in high school. </p>
<p>So while some aspects (namely the loneliness) are depressing, for the most part it’s still a LOT better than high school.</p>
<p>I’m a HS senior, and 90% of the people who posted in here sound really miserable. I’m going to try to have a better time than all of you sad folks where ever I attend next year…</p>
<p>ok, regardless of what has been said, college is GREAT! so here’s my $0.02</p>
<p>Overrated:
campus bookstore –> seriously overpriced</p>
<p>Underrated:
having water: seriously, bring a brita or plan on spending $$$ buying bottled from the overpriced convenience store bc you can’t go anywhere else bc you don’t have a car/don’t know where to go
good college library: I sound like such a nerd, but studying in my room fails bc I have too many distractions, a good library forces you to study bc everyone else is</p>
<p>Things I disagreed w/:
roommates: It’s not that bad to not be BFF’s, as long as you get along, what’s the problem?
Professors: it depends, mine have been mostly great so far, some could have been better, but nothing’s ever perfect</p>
<p>Everyone I know is in love with my school. We all think it’s the best place ever. Everyone currently in high school should know that you’re going to love it, assuming you choose the school that’s right for you. College is infinitely better than high school - more freedom, cooler people, better parties, more free time. In my opinion, it’s the furthest thing from a scam and I’m really getting the college experience I always wanted.</p>
<p>College is the BEST!!! Ignore all the negative nancies in this thread. They are on CC for a reason…lol. I am on here because I love college and like to share my knowledge about it with everyone I can (and convince high schoolers that for the most part, it is the experience you have been waiting for!) </p>
<p>Overrated:
-Money/being poor (you are forced to come up with some creative ways to make up for a lack of dough…more fun that way! hehe)
-Most college advisors (when I feel like I know more than my advisors…there’s a problem. A few advisors can be helpful thought, just be sure to take the initiative to find out things for yourself and don’t rely on untrustworthy advisors)<br>
-Having a car on campus (there is NO parking on campus anywhere…most places you park are illegal unless you have a special faculty pass and you WILL get a ticket. Plus gas is expensive. Walk, bike or take public transportation instead!) </p>
<p>Underrated:
-My peers: at least many of ones I know/hang out with are intelligent, well-spoken, able to talk about a variety of topics and care about what is going on in the world around them. They are not all the “party get wasted all the time” stereotypical college student types, and most college students are able to party AND study/crack down on academics at the same time. </p>
<p>I guess when it comes down to it, these aren’t overrated/underrated things about college in general, but merely my personal experience. So take whatever people say with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Excellent, a place to rant and give happy speeches at the same time! :D</p>
<p>Overrated:
- Textbooks for humanities classes. In my experience you only need each book once; go to the bookstore, skim it there, and save yourself $93028493.20
- Orientation. Waste of money. Although I did get to hear a very nice speech…
- “College experience.” Excuse me, but I’d rather not spend the same amount of money on dorms that I could on an apartment.
- Breadth requirements, which need to tie themselves to a rock and throw themselves off a seaside cliff. >.< A lot of good it’s going to do me long-term to write term papers based on &@!!$#!% articles with obvious biases, although I understand that the professor had no other source of income on account of being inexcusably incompetent.
- Small class sizes. If you’re not brave enough to yell out a question in a big lecture hall where the professor can’t see your face, you won’t ask the question close up. (Conversely, see underrated #4.)</p>
<p>Underrated:
- Library. Also anyplace you can find entertaining books.
- Yes, you can make awesome friends in lecture or lab. =)
- Large campuses. Love wandering around and finding new little nooks and crannies. Especially important to a commuter, who ends up doing a lot of homework outside and who will usually find the most comfortable niche(s) on campus within three weeks.
- Office hours. Definitely need to go meet some professors one-on-one…want research.
- Good old-fashioned notebook. Unless you have one of those (expensive, heavy, and fragile) tablet things, I’d like to see you doodle on your notes without one.
- Laptop. You would not believe the amount of work you can get done in class while listening to some professors.
- Free printer.</p>